Shia Surprise

Fics from the drift. 

[lace-fics]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

We wrote more spies! 

[lace-fics]

Thank you all so much for reading and coming on this journey with us, especially those of you who’ve commented, reblogged, and messaged us about it along the way! You’re stupendous and wonderful and magnificent, and we love you. 

xoxoxoxo, Louisa and Grace

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For the first time all night, Freddie found herself alone. Kit had been whisked off by Beg and Meg for some photos of them cutting into their (truly enormous) cake. She didn’t mind, though. She was so proud of him, of all of them. It was their night to celebrate the opening of their new organization, and it was well deserved. They’d decided to call it AQUITAINE - it was Meg’s suggestion, claiming it sounded like the palace they deserved. They had been working hard to make it the best facility they could hope for, on things big and small. (Just last week, Freddie and Ben were painting the walls of the office with them until well after midnight. Which reminded her – Ben had spilled paint on her favorite overalls and still hadn’t gotten her the promised replacement pair.)

The dark blue tone they’d painted in the ballroom looked lovely now, illuminated by a center chandelier and a thousand tiny fairy lights.

“Hey, boss,” Rosa greeted, coming to join her at the table. She paused, frowning as she realized her mistake. “Wow, sorry. That’s gonna be a hard habit to shake. Hi, Freddie.”

“Hey, Ms. Liaison,” Freddie nudged her, smiling. “Congratulations, by the way. How does it feel to be working for two orgs at once?”

“I don’t know why I do this to myself,” Rosa gave a dramatic sigh, but she didn’t seem at all put out. “Double the orgs, double the work. But hey, we needed a link between the two –”

“And you are the only one qualified,” Freddie added, “considering you’re the only one who’s worked with a set-up like this before.”

“I guess that’s true.” She smiled, pleased with herself. “How are you liking being a lowly employee?”

“I like it! It’s less stress on me, for sure. And it’s good for me to relinquish control once in awhile.” Freddie said, nodding more to herself than to Rosa. She smoothed the skirt of her dress and offered a sheepish smile. “I was kind of a shit boss.”

[continue reading on ao3!!!]

song of the chapter: blow away, a fine frenzy

[listen to the PmH playlist]

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high hawk season, the mountain goats // homecoming heroes, the head and the heart // prove me wrong, mindless self indulgence // eyes down, the eels // happy home, wild belle // the con, tegan and sara // how’s it going to be, third eye blind // maps, the front bottoms // gravity rides everything, modest mouse // no need to argue, the cranberries // spies, coldplay // sorry bunch, the dresden dolls // a better son/daughter, rilo kiley // please speak well of me, the weepies // homeward bound, simon & garfunkle // i choose you, sara bareilles // blow away, a fine frenzy

[[listen on 8tracks]]

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Peter's like, 'last time I flirted with an employee, she disappeared for two weeks and then ran off with an enemy agent!'

Louisa, on why Peter hasn’t made a move on Balth in the Spy AU yet

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It was shaping up to be a week of things Freddie never thought she’d say. She showed up bright and early as usual the morning after they’d returned from the hospital and planted herself outside of Peter’s office, waiting for him to arrive. She’d told Kit about her plan, and he’d been incredibly supportive – no surprise there. She could’ve told him she was thinking of leaving MESSINA to go crab fishing in Alaska for a year, and he would’ve said great, if that’s what makes you happy! I hear Alaska’s lovely in the summertime.

She was nervous, but she knew she was making the right call. She could only imagine what her grandmother was going to think of all this.

“Morning, Freddie,” Peter greeted, and she snapped to attention – she hadn’t even heard the main doors opening, she was so caught up in her own thoughts. “How’s Kit doing?”

“I need to talk to you,” She said, the words tumbling out of her. “Sorry, I mean – Kit is fine. He’s at my apartment right now, resting up. I’m going to go home at lunch to check up on him. Oh, and I need to talk to you.”

continue reading on ao3

song of the chapter: i choose you, sara bareilles

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Just wanted to say that I've loved Persuade My Heart so much, and I'm so sad that it's almost over! I've anxiously waited for each chapter every sunday, tuesday, and thursday, and I wish the fic was longer because I'm gonna miss the updates! I'm glad you guys decided to post it chapter-by-chapter instead of all at once, because I definitely would have binge-read it (like I did with the last two) and this meant I got to enjoy it for a longer amount of time. Is it too much to hope for a 4th fic???

Hello, sweet anon!  

We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying Persuade my Heart! Comments like this make our hearts swell and make all the work we put into the fic worth it. :) As for a fourth fic… we have no immediate plans for that, HOWEVER: we never really planned on ‘Take Me Anywhere’, either - it happened because we just couldn’t let them go yet! So you never know! The door is never fully closed on our favorite spies. We love them too much. (We also love YOU too much. You’re the best, anon friend.)

Thank you for being the loveliest! 

xoxoxox,

L & G

[daisys-archive]

make me your hercules: a mix for peter in @lace-fics (@xxbillieshears and @jesuisdansserdaigle‘s) spy au

something to die for - carolina liars (so peel me off the hook/that’s something to die for) // EASE - troye sivan (i’m afraid of the life that i have made) // hercules - sara bareilles (i need a warrior, please/make me your hercules) // call them brothers - regina spektor (it’s split, it won’t recover/just frame the halves/and call them brothers) // under the sheets - ellie goulding (i’ve seen you in a fight you lost) // let me go - haim (you know i’m not one for leaving/so let me go) // don’t lie - vampire weekend (there’s a headstone right in front of you/and everyone i know) // one i will sin no more - ezra furman (i ask forgiveness for my sins)

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS SO COOL. Daisy, you beautiful tropical fish. We love you and love this. <3 

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i’ll take us home, matt & kim // the only ones, nicole reynolds // how they want me to be, best coast // little lion man, mumford and sons // we can work it out, the beatles // laundry room, the avett brothers // if you were me, frightened rabbit // water under the bridge, adele // and darling, tegan and sara // fuck this... i’m leaving, mallory // what sarah said, death cab for cutie // colombia, local natives // winter song, sara bareilles & ingrid michaelson // sax rohmer #1, the mountain goats // future starts slow, the kills // hold on (the break), walk off the earth // i’d be surprised, edie brickell // go ahead, rilo kiley // XO, beyonce

[[listen on 8tracks]]

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A dozen things seemed to happen at once. Light spilled into the room, along with gusts of cold air and flurries of snow. Ben watched as Paige and Chelsey hoisted the door off of Cornwall, who – though still breathing – lay motionless on the ground. He watched as Costa knelt on the floor and bound him by wrists and ankles while Jaquie pulled out her communicator and contacted MESSINA.

He watched Meg run to Peter and Rosa, catching them both in a hug. He watched as Peter immediately searched her for any wounds, watched Rosa slip out of her grasp and drift from room to room, just in case there were more.

He watched Freddie’s gaze settle on the crumpled heap in the center of the room.

“Kitso!” The scream tore through her, and she ran to him, dropping to the ground beside him.

A dozen things seemed to happen at once, but finding Beatrice was not one of them.

Benedick felt something catch in his chest. Everyone was accounted for except the person he most needed to see, the person who mattered the most to him. What if Beatrice was in the same condition Kit was? What if she was worse? What if –

He heard a soft groan nearby, and his whole heart lifted. He turned the corner, just beyond the kitchen, and the first thing he saw was a shattered closet door, splintered practically to pieces. And then, he looked down.

“Beatrice!”

[continue reading on ao3]

song of the chapter: homeward bound, simon & garfunkel 

[listen to bea and ben’s playlist]

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Freddie looked like she might faint. As the Worthies explained the situation, all the color had drained from her face until she was white as a sheet.

“Cornwall?” Benedick breathed, disbelieving, “it can’t be.”

“Clearly it can,” Rosa said darkly.

“We basically handed them over to him,” Freddie’s voice was quivering, filled with fear.

“Don’t say that,” Peter said through gritted teeth, “there was no way any of us could’ve known -”

“But it’s true,” She insisted, “They never would’ve left the cabin if it weren’t for -”

“Freddie!” Ben’s tone was so firm and commanding, it made them all jump. “Nothing we say or do now is going to change what happened. We’ve got to focus.” He reached for the communicator, pressing the call button. “Costa, how do you know?”

“Well, it’s a long story,” Costa’s voice crackled, “It all started when the team and I were enjoying some, ah, refreshments in the surveillance room, swapping stories about… well, the point is –”

The sound on the communicator flickered, cut out briefly, and then popped back on.

“Hey, it’s Jaquie,” she sounded out of breath, “Costa had to go help with the door.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going!” They heard his faint shouting as he trudged off to join the others.

“Balth and his team cracked the anonymous email Meg received about Cornwall being in this area,” Jaquie continued. “Turns out, it was from Cornwall.”

[continue reading on  ao3]

song of the chapter: please speak well of me, the weepies

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Meg jolted awake, sitting straight up and looking around the room in a panic. For a brief moment, she didn’t know where she was, but as her eyes adjusted to the dark room, it all came rushing back. The mission, the Alps, the avalanche… their friends, still in that cabin.

Assuming the cabin was still standing.

Someone had draped a blanket over her. Beatrice and Kit were on the couch across from her, slumped across opposite sides, snuggled with blankets and pillows as well.

She hadn’t even remembered falling asleep – but then, they’d been through a pretty traumatic event, and stayed up for an entire night following it, consumed with worry. They were bound to crash eventually.

Her stomach rumbled, and she was suddenly aware of how hungry she was. She didn’t know where Boyet had gotten off to – the chateau was enormous – but he’d shown them the kitchen earlier, and she knew it had plenty of snacks to offer.

She was perusing the cabinets when she felt a rush of cold air, the front door opening as Boyet kicked snow off of his shoes, unwinding a scarf from around his neck.

“Oh,” He smiled, pleasantly surprised, “you’re up!”

[continue reading on ao3]

song of the chapter: a better son/daughter, rilo kiley

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Meg jolted awake, sitting straight up and looking around the room in a panic. For a brief moment, she didn’t know where she was, but as her eyes adjusted to the dark room, it all came rushing back. The mission, the Alps, the avalanche… their friends, still in that cabin.

Assuming the cabin was still standing.

Someone had draped a blanket over her. Beatrice and Kit were on the couch across from her, slumped across opposite sides, snuggled with blankets and pillows as well.

She hadn’t even remembered falling asleep – but then, they’d been through a pretty traumatic event, and stayed up for an entire night following it, consumed with worry. They were bound to crash eventually.

Her stomach rumbled, and she was suddenly aware of how hungry she was. She didn’t know where Boyet had gotten off to – the chateau was enormous – but he’d shown them the kitchen earlier, and she knew it had plenty of snacks to offer.

She was perusing the cabinets when she felt a rush of cold air, the front door opening as Boyet kicked snow off of his shoes, unwinding a scarf from around his neck.

“Oh,” He smiled, pleasantly surprised, “you’re up!”

[continue reading on ao3]

song of the chapter: a better son/daughter, rilo kiley

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(ONE YEAR EARLIER)

Kit had only been at MESSINA for a month, but he was already more exhausted than he’d ever thought possible. He was mentally worn down from all his vigorous entry exams and background checks, his side ached from where Meg had kicked him in training and worst of all, he still couldn’t comprehend MESSINA’s complicated layout. It was hard enough to find his way around in the daytime, but at night? There weren’t even any staff members around for him to ask directions.

He was just glancing at his phone, hoping he could make it out of the building by curfew, when he heard it:

Music.

Kit’s spirits lifted. Where there was music, there were people. He could practically feel himself snuggling down into his warm bed as he followed the sound, scaling a flight of stairs and keeping his eyes peeled for anyone who could show him the way out of the building.

He wasn’t even paying much attention to where he was going until he reached an area he’d only seen in passing. Kit came to a halt. The music was clearly coming through an office door in front of him, half-open. He knew that office. But there was no way…

He squinted, peeking through the doorway until he caught sight of a figure in the room beyond.

It was his boss, and she was dancing.

[continue reading on AO3]

[listen to Freddie and Kit’s playlist]

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king of the world, first aid kit // shadow stabbing, cake // don’t you, darren criss // the ocean, tegan & sara // first day of my life, bright eyes // going to port washington, the mountain goats // part heart, kate nash // never going back again, fleetwood mac // i’m so tired, the beatles // the judge, twenty one pilots // queen of apology, the sounds // my backwards walk, frightened rabbit // love, love, love, of monsters and men // i feel it all, feist // come around again, jet // one and only, adele // the yeah yeah yeah song, the flaming lips // the world without, a fine frenzy

[[listen on 8tracks]]

[lace-fics]

(ONE YEAR EARLIER)

Kit had only been at MESSINA for a month, but he was already more exhausted than he’d ever thought possible. He was mentally worn down from all his vigorous entry exams and background checks, his side ached from where Meg had kicked him in training and worst of all, he still couldn’t comprehend MESSINA’s complicated layout. It was hard enough to find his way around in the daytime, but at night? There weren’t even any staff members around for him to ask directions.

He was just glancing at his phone, hoping he could make it out of the building by curfew, when he heard it:

Music.

Kit’s spirits lifted. Where there was music, there were people. He could practically feel himself snuggling down into his warm bed as he followed the sound, scaling a flight of stairs and keeping his eyes peeled for anyone who could show him the way out of the building.

He wasn’t even paying much attention to where he was going until he reached an area he’d only seen in passing. Kit came to a halt. The music was clearly coming through an office door in front of him, half-open. He knew that office. But there was no way…

He squinted, peeking through the doorway until he caught sight of a figure in the room beyond.

It was his boss, and she was dancing.

[continue reading on AO3]

[listen to Freddie and Kit’s playlist]

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“So…” Freddie sat on the edge of Ben’s bed, unraveling his old bandage carefully, “you and Beatrice. You’re married?”  

“I wanted to tell you from the beginning,” He said quickly, “as soon as you made those rules. But Bea said it shouldn’t matter, and we shouldn’t have to tell you, on principle. So…”

“Yeah,” She sighed, exhaustion creeping in. “Yeah, I’m starting to get that.”

“Might have made things easier if we’d just told you, though.”

“I don’t know,” She admitted, “I was pretty angry. I might have just tried to make another rule.”

Ben laughed, and she let out a weary chuckle. Her gaze dropped, and she glimpsed Ben’s left hand, his ring finger barren.

“You don’t wear rings,” She noted. Ben grinned, holding up his uninjured arm to display the bracelet on his wrist - small and colorful, just beginning to fray around the edges.

“That’s what these are. We’re not really ring people.” He shrugged, “and besides, we thought it wouldn’t be a good idea. Don’t need any super villains knowing we’re married, you know? Just one more thing for them to use against us.”

“That’s smart,” Freddie commended.

“Don’t sound surprised,” he smirked.

[continue reading on ao3!]

song of the chapter: sorry bunch, the dresden dolls